1. Field
The following description relates to electrodes for a living body and devices for detecting bio-signals, and more particularly, to electrodes for a living body which have a reduced size for improved user convenience and which are capable of stably acquiring fine signals, and to devices for detecting bio-signals using the electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, connected healthcare systems for detecting various bio-signals in daily life have been developed. For example, the detection of bio-signals may be used to improve accuracy and convenience of diagnosis, to help the telediagnosis of medical staff by providing health-related services through databases of personal health information, to deliver results of diagnosis/prescriptions, and the like. A living body is a type of conductor, and a number of minute electric currents are generated therein. Accordingly, an inner condition of a living body may be detected by detecting such minute electric currents or by detecting changes in electric currents with respect to external stimuli in the living body. Generally, various bio-signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin resistance (GSR), electrooculography (EOG), body temperature, heartbeat, pulse, blood pressure, body movement, and the like, may be detected, and an electrode for a living body may be used to detect changes in such bio-signals.
An electrode for a living body that is attached to the skin of a user may act as a medium for connecting the living body of the user to a detecting system. This attached electrode may affect the quality of detected bio-signals and user convenience. In order for an electrode to be attached to the living body of a user and to detect bio-signals of the user at all times, various technical problems with respect to accuracy of detection, communication, power consumption, and the like, need to be addressed. In addition, the electrode should be easy to use.
Furthermore, an electrode that is attached to a living body as a wearable sensor should be miniaturized to be of small size and to be lightweight. A generally used electrode for a living body may be manufactured to be disposable based on performance and user convenience. When an electrode for a living body is attached to the skin of a user and the user moves for an extended period of time thereafter, it may be difficult to acquire accurate signals. For example, the accuracy of the signal may be affected due to weakened adhesiveness of the electrode attached to his or her body and/or evaporation of electrolytes.